100th anniversary of the great composer’s birth

A celebration of Benjamin Britten

In 2013 this UK 50p will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of British composer Benjamin Britten. This unique coin is also the first ever UK 50p to show both date and denomination on the obverse.

Developed with the Britten-Pears Foundation, the coin features words by the poet Tennyson from Britten’s ‘Serenade’. Included in the informative souvenir pack are three individual prints of Britten’s handwritten manuscripts for choral, opera and film music.

Benjamin Britten

Best known for the English opera ‘Peter Grimes’ and ‘The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra’, Benjamin Britten is a towering figure in the world of classical music. His astonishing artistic output created over 100 major works for genres as diverse as orchestral, solo, operatic, chamber and film music. He also founded the renowned annual Aldeburgh Festival for Music and the Arts where many of his works were premiered.

Auspiciously, when Britten was born on 22 November 1913, it was the feast day of St Cecilia, patron saint of music. His musical talents emerged early, as he composed his first work at the age of six charmingly entitled, ’Do you no that my Daddy has gone to London today?’ Nowadays, over 1,000 Britten concerts and events take place worldwide every year.

Designed by artist Tom Phillips CBE RA, the coin features the uplifting words BLOW BUGLE BLOW and SET THE WILD ECHOES FLYING as well as the composer’s name in a stave, a reference to his virtuosity as a pianist and conductor. Superbly packaged, there is no finer souvenir of this historic anniversary.